Who doesn’t love a great bowl of pasta? I wanted to be able to make a pasta dish that was not only good but healthy. I believe I’ve found the perfect balance. This recipe was developed out of frustration, when I was trying to make stuffed chicken with spinach and ricotta cheese. I didn’t have any toothpicks in the house and tried my hardest to keep the stuffing together, with no success. I decided to move to plan B, and turn it into a pasta dish.
One of the ingredients listed in this recipe is saffron. I would’ve never thought to add saffron, but I had just received a spice shipment from my mother, who lives in area near many Middle Eastern/Indian shops. They sell high quality saffron at a discounted rate. What’s fascinating about this spice is that its obtained from a flower, Crocus Sativus, that only produces three threads per flower. More than 75,000 flowers are needed to obtain a pound. This is the reason why this spice carries a heavy price tag. No worries if you don’t have saffron, the dish will still be very good with the addition of cream and roasted garlic!
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breast (cubed)
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 2 onions
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 medium eggplant (cubed)
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup of heavy cream
- bag of spinach
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon saffron (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix in a large bowl the below ingredients with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes on 375.
1 Onion Sliced
1 Red Pepper Sliced
1 cubed Eggplant
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Be sure to roast the garlic in the oven with the vegetables by placing in an aluminum foil packet with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. When the garlic is cooked through (15-20 minutes), mash into a paste.
In a pot bring together the chicken and chopped onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saffron. Let this cook with the lid on for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. There should be a nice amount of liquid that builds up at the bottom of the pot.
Add tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes with the roasted garlic (smashed into a paste) with 1/2 teaspoon of salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat.
Add cream and wait a few minutes before adding your roasted vegetables and spinach. The last step is to add the spaghetti. Don’t forget your favorite cheese to top of this wonderful meal. Enjoy!
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